The Grenada gazette., 1887-11-19
A CLOSE CALL.
The Terrible Experience Of q
Steeple- Climber.

A telegraph lineman was engaged
adjusting wire on the top OF one {
the high telegraph poles on Suite
street Near the foot of the pole stoo
the usual crowd Of men and small boy
watching the operation. which alway
serves to attract little knot OF curl
Gus idlers. -.
The lineman sat contentedly on hi
lofty perch apparently as unconcernet
as though unaware that a false move
ment might. at any moment dash hin
to the cruel stones beneath, a bruised
and bleeding corpse. He did not ever
seem to be aware of the curious gazers
below. Still less did he seem to OBJ
serve tall and very wiry-looking
man about fifty years Of age. who wat
passing along the street apparently
engrossed in his own thoughts aud
paving no attention to his surround
ings As the tall man neared the pole,
however, the little group of sight-seers
seemed to attract his attention, and.
apparently unconsciously, he cast his
ewes upward in the direction in which
they were looking.
As his glance rested on the lineman
sudden and remarkable change in
his appearance took place. A ghostly
pallor overspread his features; shud-
der passed through his frame. causing
his whole body to quiver; his knees
bent as if unable to sustain the weight
they carried, and with a hoarse moan
he sank to the ground. With the aid
of gentleman who was passing, an
Alta reporter, who chanced that way,
picked up the fanting man and
carried him to n ncighboring saloon,
where, after the application of cold
water and wetting his lips with
little brandy, he soon showed signs Of
returning consciousness.
Thank you, gentlemen" said the
stranger, as the color began to return
to his cheeks; I am sorry for the
trouble l have caused you but it was
my own fault. | ought not to have
done il"
Done what?' asked the reporter.
Il ought not to have looked up" re-
piled the stranger, and as he said these
words the same pallor seemed to creep
over his features, and his eyes assumed
startled look, as il under the spell of
some terrible recollection.
Feeling certain that story lay at
the bottom Of the man strange actions,
the reporter questioned him.
At first he seemed loath to answer,
or rather as though he dreaded to re-
cur to subject which was evidently
fraught with the memory Of an intense
terror, but his strength returned, and
he suddenly said: Il confess that my
actions seem strange, but after your
kindess TO me l feel that it is due to
you that should explain their cause.
have only the one obje ection to tell.
ing my story, and that is l am never
able to reenr to the event which l am
about to relate without passing
through an experience similar to that
which you have just witnessed. How
ever, the feeling has passed over now,
and / think / can relate the story, if it
will interest you.
The reporter felt certain that it |
would, and asked him to proceed, and.
without further preface. the stranger
did SO. and told the following story:
Il am aporter to-day in large mer-
camille hsuse. but twenty-three years
ago ! was . slate-roofer by trade and
followed that occupation in the State
OF New York Iprefer not to tell you
my name or where l am now working, |
as 1dislike notor'iety and do not wish |
TO be subjected to the curious ques-
tionings Of my friends and fellow
employees. But it is my story that l |
think will interest you and not my |
name.
"Weh. Dir, as I was about to say, it
was abost twenty.three years ago, and
! was then about twenty-four years Of
Age. when my boss took the contract
10 finish the steeple Of a Methodist
church in q little village in Warren
County, N. T., and sent me there to
do the job ...sa
"Ihe steeple was about one hun.
ired and twenty feet in height Not
very great height, you may say, for
a steeple; but you can take my word
'or it that it looks great deal higher
% the man near the top. looking down. |
nan 1t docs to the man looking up
rom the solid earth. |
"Well, to make q long story short.